Maybe a bit harsh, Tom. The reason we're required to leave MQs in good order is so that the next occuoants can move into a house in habitable state. If the interests of the next occupant is truly the reason, "they" must then assume some responsibility for maintenance of the property and its habitable state until it is reoccupied.

It's not a good feeling to work hard to ensure everything is perfect when leaving a quater only to have to move into another that is clearly not right. Just saying.

Take a look at the totality of my posts on the subject Courtney and you will see that you and I, and indeed Willard, are pushing at the same open door. If my comment was harsh then it was reflecting Willard's rather rude suggestion about what I do with my emoticon- although no idea what a "jacksie" is.:=

Anyway, as for sanctimonious, bit presumptuous of Willard not to consider that the defecating mouse visited the worktop post march-out of the previous occupant; you know, when the house was all quiet and still - the way mice like it. Either way, fault lies with marching in/out officer for not "spotting" so to speak. So this little episode rather enforces the merits of a robust march out system I think.

Well, our recent march out was pretty painless, yet getting the property to the inspection standard was hard work. The DIO chap didn't look at the garden, or the carpets ( steam cleaned) yet focused on the cobwebs under the eaves - unreachable without an access platform. He also insisted that I captured a large spider in the basement and take it outside!

On arrival at our next SFA, we found it dusty, the toilets and shower needed attention and the windows were smeared and covered in paint spatter from a recent redecoration. I spoke to the housing officer and she sent a cleaner around straight away to rectify these issues. However the garden was/is in a state - overgrown, paths and patio edges long obliterated and the flower beds were more like wildlife refuges! I pointed this out and I was 'reminded' that this was the contractural requirement - of the grounds contractor and not the occupant, who is required to maintain the garden in a much tidier condition!

We also received domestic furniture from the system - light oak stuff, think Homebase, rather than Ikea - except the chest of draws are pathetic! I asked the army unit that administers DAS for another chest and got the usual 'you have your entitlement' answer. It means buying more furniture for the short period that we are back in the UK as the rest of our good items remain in store.


On a related issue - should SP be liable for damages incurred by a MOD contractor? A colleague of mine was delayed by three days when there was a no-show from the MOD removals contractor (and then the trailer brakes seized) thus he couldn't complete the SSFA clean in the remaining half day (it is a huge hiring) before he marched out and his replacement was waiting at the end of the street with his truck! DIO billed him several hundred £ for a clean which he could not physically complete! Fair? As it happens he has sent a copy of the bill to the well-known removals firm for their attention.

A colleague in F-4 days had a short-notice posting and didn't manage to sort out his garden before the march-out, so was charged a tidy sum to have it done by a contractor.

Fast forward a few months and he was chatting with a mate who'd moved in to the same MQ a few days after my colleague had moved out. "The place was nice and clean, mate - but you might have cut the grass and sorted out the garden! It took me a day or so to tidy it up!"...:hmm:

So where did the money go.... :( ???

I remember back in the early 1990's the ‘new’ OC of the Cyprus Joint Service Health Unit (an Army WO1 Environmental Health Tech) condemning his newly allocated MQ on march in. Something to do with an ant infestation in the kitchen and other lurking nasties in the bathroom.

Cue an argument between said OC JSHU and the Akrotiri Families Officer who pointed out that almost every quarter had ant infestations (What an admission!). OC JSHU wouldn’t budge though and for good measure condemned the adjoining MQ where I lived.

Eventually OC JSHU was allocated one of the brand new MQ’s that had just being built at Akrotiri, whilst we were given a tub of ant powder! The quarter the OC JSHU condemned was allocated to an army Sgt the following week still with its ant infestation and other assorted ‘nasties!.